Tudela, Meneses, Regis earn gold medals

Joey M. Tudela, Joshua G. Meneses, and Brandon N. Regis all went home with gold medals after winning their respective weight classes during last Saturday’s Northern Marianas Cup Weightlifting Tournament held at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Tudela topped the 81-kg weight class after a total lift of 200 kg. The 32-year-old veteran of the 2018 Micronesian Games in Yap, progressed from 85 kg to 90 kg in the snatch before topping out with 90 kg. In the clean and snatch, Tudela started out with 100 kg before lifting a 105 kg in his second and topped at 100 kg.

“I trained for it and just wanted to hit my numbers,” he said after the victory.

Tudela has been training in weightlifting for the past nine years and has been in five competitions in Guam and Saipan prior to last Saturday’s event.

He beat a field of three other weightlifters with Joshua DLC Diaz getting a silver with his 181-kg total that narrowly beat Arvin Velasco’s total of 180 kg. Don M. Cabrera finished with a total lift of 147 kg.

In the 73-kg weight class Meneses got the better of Alfred O. Gueverra Jr. in the two-man field. After 63 kg in the first round, Meneses settled for 67 kg in the snatch after failing to lift 71 kg in the third round. In the clean and jerk, the 23-year-old started off with 95 kg then progressed to 100 kg before abandoning his try on 105 kg. Guevarra had lifts of 65 kg in the snatch and 100 kg in the clean and jerk.

“It’s my very first weightlifting competition. Did one at Latte Gym but it was just an exhibition. This is my very first taste of actual competition. My lifts were pretty OK. I felt pretty good warming up and everything went according to plan. Sad that I wasn’t able to get the lifts I wanted to get but it’s still OK,” said Meneses after the competition.

Regis competed against no one on the 67-kg weight category but still impressed with lifts of 63 kg in the snatch and 90 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 153 kg.

“It was still a great experience. I felt nervous at first but after hearing the support of the crowd and my fellow competitors, it helped me get through it,” he said.

It is only Regis’ second month into weightlifting having competed before in bodybuilding.

Saipan Tribune will publish the results of the women’s division in the next few days.

The CNMI Weightlifting Federation organized the competition. For more information on the weightlifting organization, call its president John Davis at 789-9211.

From left, medal-winning weightlifters Joey M. Tudela, Joshua DLC Diaz, Joshua G. Meneses, and Brandon N. Regis pose with local MMA fighgter Kelvin “The Big Hit” Fitial during the medal presentation of last Saturday’s Northern Marianas Cup Weightlifting Tournament at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. (Mark Rabago)